A gas explosion in Castaic a little after 4 p.m. Saturday prompted freeway closures and shelter in place orders, according to multiple first responders, radio dispatch traffic and social media reports.
A critical shelter in place order from the L.A. County Fire Department was issued on the Genasys Protect platform Saturday evening at 5:40 p.m. for residents in the CAS-SLOAN area.
That includes homes between the Ninetynine Oaks community to the south, the Castaic Town Center in the north, Interstate 5 to the west and the north-south Sloan Canyon Road to the east.
More shelter in place orders were being given by sheriff’s deputies around 6:45 p.m. in the Stonegate neighborhood, to the east of I-5 between Ridge Route Road and Castaic Road, said resident Nick Steese.
The explosion was likely caused by a natural gas line and is being investigated as of the publication of this story, said Sgt. Mark Perkins of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
The impact seemed to be widespread based on initial reports. Residents reported smelling natural gas near Westridge in Valencia and Stevenson Ranch.
According to reports from the scene, the gas was shut off in the area Saturday night.
A Sigalert was issued at 5:03 p.m. for all lanes on northbound and southbound Interstate 5 between the Lake Hughes Road and Lower Crossover exits, according to CHP Officer Sergio Garcia. Northbound traffic was diverted to Highway 126, while southbound traffic was diverted to State Route 138, said California Highway Patrol officer Megan Curtiss.
The closure was lifted on both sides of the freeway at 8:44 p.m., according to Garcia.
Perkins said the explosion may have occurred near 3200 Ridge Route Road, but that address is tentative. Reports on the PulsePoint app indicated L.A. County Fire Department units were deployed to North Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place at 4:17 p.m.
Curtiss said the CHP got the initial call at 4:19 p.m. about a possible gas pipe explosion. Social media reports indicated those orders had been given around 5:30 p.m. Saturday but details were still emerging.
Calls about the explosion came into the sheriff’s station at about 4:18 p.m., Perkins said. The station hadn’t yet received any reports of injuries.
Nick Steese, the Stonegate resident, said the pipe explosion soon after 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon sounded like “a jet engine.”
“We initially heard what sounded like almost a sonic boom explosion, and then I ran outside, and it sounded close to what a jet engine sounds like, just a loud rumbling,” Steese said.
Steese, his father, his brother and his nephew drove to Ridge Route Road to see what had caused the sound – which Steese’s neighbor said sounded like a plane had crashed, Steese said. Steese and his brother got out of the car when they spotted a downed motorcycle, and when they went to look for the driver, the two were immediately hit by the smell of the gas.
“My eyes started to burn from the natural gas. We were holding our breath to keep from smelling it,” Steese said.
Steese was between 150 and 200 feet from the explosion site. From his vantage point, Steese said he saw what looked like a 36-inch pipe “spewing natural gas,” but between five to seven minutes after the initial explosion he didn’t see flames, he said, just sparks.
Steese later found the motorcycle rider – who was trying to get cell service to call the Fire Department to the gas leak.
“Most of our neighbors have actually left, just as a safety precaution,” Steese said. “I’m actually an admin on one of our community pages. Everyone’s questioning what’s happening. It’s kind of a tense situation right now.”
Steese said he’s advising people to stay calm and stay sheltered.
Sheriff’s deputies told Steese that they have the leak contained, and that a seal is currently on the leak. They added that the shelter in place should last for another hour, so long as the seal holds, Steese said.
If it doesn’t, deputies said to “be prepared for a long night,” Steese said.
Public information officers for the SCV Sheriff’s Station and the L.A. County Fire Department were both unavailable for comment at the time of this story’s publication.
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
